As fans eagerly await the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on April 10, Square Enix has unveiled an interview with the developers of the game that clarifies some details. Co-director Naoki Hamaguchi said that the upcoming remake will be as big and expansive as other mainline Final Fantasy games. Since the remake only covers Midgar, which is the first five to eight hours of the original Final Fantasy VII, this represents a significant expansion of content.
According to producer Yoshinori Kitase, much of these new sections come as part of an attempt to expand Midgar beyond its original scope. Since the original game had to imply the connective tissue of the different neighborhoods of the city due to technological limitations, the team endeavored to “fill all the gaps” to make it a more continuous experience.
The interview also confirms the existence of endgame content, and covers the controversial exclusion of the wolf-like beast Red XIII as a playable character. Though he will be playable in a guest capacity, he will not have full character progression. However, he may be more fully-realized in future entries.
It’s not immediately clear if Square Enix means that this remake will be similar in length to other mainline Final Fantasy games. For comparison, Final Fantasy XIII takes roughly 50-hours to main-line, whereas FFXV is only around 30.
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